youth justice event, Saturday February 23rd
We are having a large event this upcoming Saturday 2/23 to promote our work to raise the age of criminal responsibility in New York- currently we are one of only two states in the whole nation where all 16 and 17 year olds in the justice system are treated as adults. --- Gabrielle PriscoGabrielle is the daughter of our pals Gene and Loretta Prisco who have been part of the teacher union political movement since I met them c. 1971. Amongst the founders of the Coalition of School Workers in the 70s and of ICE in 2003 and working with MORE nowadays, they are also key political players in many areas beyond education, mostly in Staten Island.
Gabrielle is a social justice lawyer working with juvenile justice issues. Here is her announcement.
Please join the Correctional Association of New York's Raise the Age Campaign, the National Black Theatre and Lyrics From Lockdown at a FREE COMMUNITY TOWN HALL on Saturday, February 23 at 3:30 pm at the National Black Theatre, where impacted youth, parents, and community members will discuss New York's shameful practice of prosecuting children as adults.
The Town Hall is free and open to all who wish to attend, but we do request that you RSVP. Register for the FREE February 23 Raise the Age Town Hall here.
You are also invited to purchase tickets for Lyrics From Lockdown, a phenomenal one-man show by Bryonn Bain exploring his own wrongful imprisonment after graduation from Harvard Law School and the story of Nanon Williams, sentenced to death in Texas at age 17. On Saturday February 23rd (the day of the Town Hall) there are shows at both 2pm and 8pm.
After the Sunday February 24th 4pm Lyrics performance (closing night) there will be an Artist talkback featuring Harry Belafonte, Executive Producer of Lyrics From Lockdown.
To purchase your Lyrics from Lockdown tickets, please visit the National Black Theatre’s website:www.nationalblacktheatre.org
NEW YORK IS ONE OF ONLY TWO STATES IN THE NATION that automatically treats all 16- and 17-year-olds in the criminal justice system as adults. These young people are subject to lifelong criminal records and if detained or incarcerated are almost always right alongside adults in adult jails and prisons. New York also prosecutes children as young as 13, if charged with certain serious offenses, as adults. Children in adult jails are 36 times more likely to commit suicide than children in juvenile detention. Children in adult prisons are twice as likely to be beaten up by staff, five times more likely to be sexually assaulted, and far more likely to be attacked with weapons than youth in juvenile facilities. Children in adult jails and prisons are frequently placed in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day. To learn more about this issue and join in our efforts, please contact the Correctional Association's Raise the Age Campaign Manager Angelo Pinto atapinto@correctionalassociation.org.
http://www.correctionalassociation.org/news/join-us-for-lyrics-from-lockdown-the-raise-the-age-community-conversation-series.